AN ANTIQUE PIECE

Sabi, just as you said, I've indeed come up with an antique snap. Shall we put it up for auction? This is one of the best classrooms in the whole of MCC. ......the first classroom on the 1st floor of the new building. Each & every 10th batch would just long to have this as their classroom and so did we. Whenever I see this snap, I find a striking resemblance between Teena & Michael Jackson. But nobody seems to agree with me. That's Shirani next to her. The rest of them ....Jabeela, Priya, Jayalakshmi & Deepa.

(from Arthy's album)

Hold your light on high!

An important attraction of Tangasseri is the lighthouse, built in 1902. The 144 ft. lighthouse stands as a sentinel, warning seamen of the treacherous reefs of Tangasseri.Incidentally, it is the same lighthouse that goes as the emblem of Mount Carmel School with the beautiful and inspiring motto "Hold your light on high"!

The view from atop the lighthouse is absolutely amazing- the vast stretch of sea with the waves lashing against the rocks. I could even spot some of the landmarks of Kollam town from there.But do hold tight on the railings of the balcony because it is usually very windy up there. I got a chance to go there a year ago when I took my husband on a walking marathon to see my school and the quaint town of Tangasseri. Do visit the lighthouse anytime you go to Kollam. It is now open to the public but remember to go in the evening between 3pm and 5pm if you want to go up to the balcony for an aerial view. It is disappointing though that photography is not allowed inside the lighthouse premises (try sneaking in your camera or lucky if you have a good camera phone) ;)
sabina

A school amidst History

I wonder how many of us have smelt the history of bygone times in the “Tangy air” when we were in school. Did you hear the sounds of the marching beats of the English, the Portugese, or the Dutch? As you stared into the rocky sea from your classroom window, did you imagine how the traders from yonder lands had landed on the tangy coast?

Well, history points out that Tangasseri was once a favourite settlement of the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English in succession. Today, it showcases a few ruined forts built by the Portuguese, and the Dutch and some 18th century churches. I hear that what remains of the 16 th century fort (seen in the pic)built by the Portugese maybe less that a quarter of what actually existed almost 30 years ago. Although believed to be protected by the Archeological Survey of India, these relics are now at the mercy of encroachers and vandals.Apparently there used to be two cemeteries too in the vicinity of the fort, one belonging to the Dutch and other to the Portuguese. It is indeed a matter of shame that the tangy fort that has stood the test of centuries should be left to this ignominy.

Save the Tangy fort!

sabina

Tangasseri – a blast from the past !

It maybe a quirk of history that Mount Carmel Convent School, by virtue of its location in Tangasseri, has witnessed and survived the major changes in the political history of Kollam. It is perhaps this positioning of the school that has added that “unique touch” to the carmelites - the spirit of adaptability and survival !Not to forget the old world charm when you remember your school days. Colonial bungalows, cosmopolitan attitude and an unusual blending of Portuguese, Dutch and British culture, architecture and life style is perhaps what gives a quaint flavour to the "sea side hamlet" of Tangy.




Click on
http://www.geocities.com/athens/acropolis/9669/tangy.htm
and get set on a historical walk through Tangasseri, tracing the history of this multi-cultural settlement since the days of the European advent on this eastern coast. I’m sure you will recognize (click on the fotos)some of the beautiful houses along the streets of Tangasseri.This webpage belongs to Mr. Joseph Fernandez who is also the author of the book on Tangasseri called ‘Glimpses of Tangasseri - A 500 Year Legacy’.He writes, “By any stretch of imagination, the Malabar coast is a breathtaking span of scenery. Pampered coconut groves jostle for space with red tiled villas. Its native Malayalam, with its singsong intonations, measures out its richness in expressions as golden as the sands that border it. While Life itself swishes onto its verdant shores with the lazy splash of waves. Give or take a turbulent history, that is pretty much the Good Life, as it is known in God’s own country…over the centuries, these changes in India have reflected themselves in the story of a picturesque little settlement at the southern tip of the Kollam coast (modern day Quilon). Here, beyond the ruins of a large crumbling fort, was born a treasure-trove of a Malabar legacy: Tangasseri. A thriving gold trade once existed here. Not to mention, rivetting legends of buried treasure. But this was only one of Tangaserri's timeless secrets…”

sabina

How to add posts,fotos and comments on the blog ?

Thought it's good to add a few basic points on posting fotos, comments and writeups on the blog.Sorry if you think I'm trying to underestimate your intelligence by elaborating on these. I am doing so only because the blog maybe a relatively new medium for most of us. Infact, I am also learning the funda of blogging now!! Techy friends, please help in organizing the blog…to change the layout, to add links or for a foto slideshow done….

How to add posts,fotos and comments ?

*You can add comments without logging in. All you need to do is click on "comments"(at the end of each post) and add your comment in the pop-up box. It is better to add your name at the end of your comment coz if ur logged in(blog id) then it will only show your comment as "mccclassof89". Unless you click on 'other' and enter your name.

*To add new posts log in using the blog user id and password…click on "new post"(top right)and click on "publish post". If you want to edit the post, click on the icon "edit post" at the end of the post (next to add comments) and do the editing and then you can "publish" the post.

*To upload fotos, go to "new post" and click on the "add image" icon and on the pop -up you can browse and upload, finally click on "done."

* You also have the option of e-mailing particular posts to friends.Click on the mail icon "email post"at the end of each post.

Remember to keep the user id and password within our group. This is to ensure against the flood of irrelevant or obscene posts, spamming and so on.

Happy blogging!! Let's keep the blog going !!
sabina(for the class of '89)

Carmelites blogging bigtime !!

Great to see more amd more MCC batches starting their blogs...here are a few new ones:

1.Mount Carmel United :)

This is a blog created by the MCC batch of '92. In their own words… I quote Merina (batch of '92)“Our very own space, where, we whilst taking a trip down memory lane, take time out to also help friends in need, shud we need each other sometime...rave, rage, rant, share smiles and laughter...and the tears as well...In our own way we have made our Alma Mater proud..let it not stop here...We were a unit then, we still are now and we are a force to reckon with .. ;) Lets do it right...”
....MCC girls Unite!!!!

Here’s the link http://mccgirls92.blogspot.com/
They also have a community on Orkut called : Summer of '92 (MCC Girls) :)

2. www.mccbatch1990.blogspot.com

This is from the batch of 1990. Rosetta (class of '90)says,"After a long silence now some of us have at least come in touch with each other , thanks to orkut and also to all our seniors who have inspired us to start this blog ...try and link as many of our batch mates as possible thank you ."

Some do’s and dont’s about this blog!

This is meant to be an online personal journal. I believe it is owned by the class of ‘89. At the moment Arthy and myself are co-ordinating it (coz presently we seem to have some time at our disposal for this “nostalgia project”!). We do wish others would step forward to get actively involved in this.

A few do and dont’s about mccclassof89blog:

These are a few useful hints for anyone involved with this blog to ensure easy and fun blogging!

1.Anyone from the class of ‘89 can add posts/fotos directly by logging in using the user id and password (the user id and password have been mailed to all whose email addresses were available ).Those from the class of ’89 who wish to add new posts and do not have the password may mail one of us for the password or send the posts to one of us to be published.

2.Anyone outside the class of ’89 can add comments. Of course, your posts are welcome and you can send it to anyone from the class of 89. We do wish to keep the password among us to avoid the hassle of spams and junk mails.

3.If you find any reference made about you in this blog to be offensive,then you can
(a) inform the person who has posted it
(b) inform the co-ordinators of the blog
(c) if (a) &(b) fails, then the easiest way would be to go ahead and edit the post ! (would appreciate if you could inform the co-ordinators before you actually delete the post)

4.If you do not wish your fotos to be displayed on the blog or find them defamatory, then you can
(a)inform the person who has posted it
(b)inform the co-ordinators of the blog
(c) if (a) & (b) fails, then the easiest way is to go ahead and edit the post ! (would appreciate if you could inform the co-ordinators before you actually delete the post)

5. If at any point the class of '89 finds that such a blog is irrelevant,defamatory or detrimental to their professional/personal life (!), then please inform the co-ordinators and we can think about disbanding /cancelling the blog at that point.

Thanks and regards,
Sabina(for the class of '89)
Ps. Hope we do not lose out on the fun of blogging by being overcautious about what we write ...however the idea is to be tolerant towards another person's feelings...therefore the do's and dont's ...will be helpful i guess to even redefine our friendships and relate to each other better when meeting after a span of almost two decades! happy blogging !!

Contact for the blog:
Arthy: aarthyravi@gmail.com
Sabina: sabzax@gmail.com

Class profiles (friends of '89)-- INDU

Her spontaneity definitely needs to be appreciated. She was just too good in moulding her imaginations and bringing it down on paper. I very well remember Ms.Yula reading out her compositions to the whole class and we used to listen to them with breathless silence as to how beautifully she had crafted them all. She was the pride of every teacher.

Arthy

GEETHA & SHAJILA

Geetha will always be remembered as my "twin sister". Though it still amuses me as to how we could be mistaken for one another by many of our teachers. Shaji, always pleasant faced and a gifted artist as well. I still treasure a book mark which she gave me. She had sketched some lovely pictures in it.

Arthy

FRIGHTFUL WALK

A walk across the Malampuzha dam. I was just holding my breath while walking along this hanging bridge for the fear that it might give way. I had that fear because the last that I remember visiting this place was with my family while I was a kid. At that time my brother-in-law was walking behind me and he was purposely giving it a shake so as to scare us. So while walking down the bridge with my friends, I was reminded of that and it made me all the more scared.
Arthy

JABEELA & RAJI

This picture was taken in the wee hours of the morning. It was a college in Palaghat, where we halted for a night during our excursion.

TOGETHERNESS

Glimpses of some more of our happy times together. That's Raji & Padma with me. Ascending the steps of success......Raji pursued a career as a teacher while Padma is a doctor. As for me, I opted for a more complicated and a full time job.....that of a home maker. ; -)

Arthy

Shirani, Meera.Raji,Seema and Priya --- a peek into those days of fun and frolic !!

(photo courtesy - Sibyl from the class of '90)

3 CHEERS TO FROOTI

Isn't it wonderful to see that "Frooti" too has survived all these years and still remains a favorite drink of all, irrespective of their age. Don't miss out on Ms.Cabbot & Ms.Prestina on the back drop.
Arthy

MORE OF OUR EXCURSION SNAPS

I know going through these pictures can make us feel low. At least we can take this as a way to have Linet with us once again.

LINET, WE MISS YOU!

Linet.....Remembering a dear friend of almost anyone who knows her. She'll be always remembered for her exuberance, simplicity, modesty, cheerfulness, and above all a person who was loved by one and all. Though she's no more with us, the fond memories that we have of her will never die. We miss you dearly.
Arthy

Remembering Linet – “Let me be there!”

It was shocking to hear about Linet’s untimely demise. I still feel guilty that I got to know about it much too late coz I was not in touch with schoolfriends!!

Linet and I were in the same class. Although I liked her, we did not get a chance to be close friends. But I do have a few memories of Linet. I admired her for being very neat in her appearance. I know this might sound funny but I was so fascinated when she told me how she had got her hair straightened (the natural curls she had)after a trip to Bahrain when such things were not much heard of! She was one of the stars of the Blue House…be it song, dance, drama Linet was there on stage. She had a beautiful voice. I distinctly remember once Ms. Delphin asked one of us to sing a song to enliven the class after a tedious session of physics. And Linet went up to sing. I should say, she was never reluctant to do that and we had always recognized her as the “ singing star of our class.” So anytime there was a request for a song we would simply shout “Linet, Linet”!! She sang, “Let me be there in your morning, let me be there in your night time, All I ask you is let me be there…" We had a cheeky look and grin and made sure that Linet also smiled and blushed while singing …and when she finished Ms.Delphin summed it up well” for those of you who think it is a love song yes it is… but it is for the Holy Spirit!”

I can almost hear it now! "let me be there in your morning..."Yes Linet you are with us, you will always be…

I’m sure all of you have many more colorful memories of our dear Linet…do share it here…sabina

LINET, AMONGST US

Linet, with us during our excursion.

MCC on wikimapia

Spot MCC on wikimapia, the online map which allows you to add information to any location on the globe.

Here's the link:

http://wikimapia.org/101385/

IJHS alumni website !!

Let’s set our old school rivalries aside ;) click http://www.infantjesustangasseri.com/

In their own words , "this is the place for the alumni of Infant Jesus Anglo Indian School at Quilon, Kerala, India to share their thoughts and ideas and reminiscence about beloved Tangasseri".

Admire the way they have organized their alumni association and their reunions. Congrats Infant Jesus Alumni!

A beautiful pic. of the IJHS grounds. Remember our "much anticipated"class outing to IJHS on their annual sports day ;)!!

Also chk http://groups.yahoo.com/group/InfantJesusTangasseri/

Their profile reads:This is a forum for alumni of Infant Jesus Anglo Indian School at Quilon, India, to discuss nostalgic memories of beloved Tangasseri. Come forward to discuss old Tangy stories, nicknames, cut-jacks and all! Life's short, let us pass those stories on to posterity. Our 'holy' old neighbours from Mount Carmel Convent as well as present students of IJHS are welcome to join.